Every Penguin Has a Song
by angellwings
Summary: Natella. Alright, so Nate hated birds. Was that terrible? Jason thought it was. Birds creeped him out. Their movements were sudden and unlike dogs, or even cats, there were absolutely no signs to tell you what they were thinking.
1. Eleanor

Every Penguin Has a Song

By angellwings

* * *

><p><em>Eleanor<em>

_Summer 2007_

* * *

><p>Alright, so Nate hated birds. Was that terrible? Jason thought it was. Birds creeped him out. Their movements were sudden and unlike dogs or even cats there were absolutely no signs to tell you what they were thinking. With a dog he could watch the tail or the eyes or the posture and with a cat the back and the ears were important. He knew these things about them, but birds…<p>

Birds had no such tells.

So, you could imagine his discomfort when Jason donated an obscene amount of money to a local zoo and then made Shane and Nate attend a special event at said zoo in his honor. There was going to be a demonstration of the new bird show. _(A bird show!)_ And it got better. Before the show they were invited backstage to meet the birds. _(Why would he want to meet the birds? Had none of these people ever watched a Hitchcock movie? Birds were evil!)_

Nate jumped as they entered the room where all the birds were waiting for the show. _(Why were there so many?)_ A parrot flapped its wings and squawked at him and Nate quickly jerked away from it. He could tell this was going to end badly. It had to. He was in a room full of _birds_.

"And before you meet our feathery performers," The Zookeeper said affectionately as she scratched the parrot's ahead. "We actually have another friend we want you to meet. Jason's generous donation allowed us to afford proper corrective footwear for this lady you're about to meet. This way."

"Corrective footwear?" Shane asked in confusion. "For a bird?"

"She was born with a limp. Her foot wasn't developing properly," The Zookeeper explained. "And I'm sure once you meet her you'll understand why that foot was so necessary."

They entered another room where a bank of flowing water waited on the other side. The water led out of the room and into a habitat. Nate looked over at Jason and smiled at the awed look on his face. Nate heard a splash and turned toward the water. A little black and white bird climbed up out of the water and Nate immediately fought a smile.

No, no. He refused to like _a bird_. And then it started to waddle toward them. The wings or flippers were lifted behind the tiny bird as it walked unevenly toward them and the smile slowly spread across Nate's face. Adorable wasn't a strong enough word for the scene in front of him.

"Meet Eleanor, the Humboldt penguin," The Zookeeper said as she knelt down and reached out for the small bird. "She still has a bit of a limp, but the boot she's wearing allows her to grip and pull herself out of the water so that she can swim and properly enjoy the companionship of the other penguins and their zoo habitat."

She handed each of them a fish out of the metal bucket she held and then motioned for them to feed Eleanor. The penguin was rather impatient for her food. She approached Shane first and nipped at the bottom of his jeans. The zookeeper laughed as Shane backed away and she leaned forward and gently poked Eleanor.

"Hey, hey you. That's rude," She told the bird with a chuckle.

Eleanor backed up and glanced at Shane anxiously. Shane stared at her worriedly as he knelt down and tossed her the fish. She caught it easily and downed it in one gulp. Nate's eyes widened and he chuckled. Jason's head turned and he gave him a surprised look. Nate immediately glared at him defensively.

"What? I'm allowed to laugh."

"Not at birds," Jason whispered with a grin.

"Penguins are clearly a superior species of bird," Nate said with a shrug. He paused for a minute and then shook his head. "Don't tell anyone I said that."

"No one would believe me if I did," Jason told him as he stepped forward and tossed Eleanor his fish. He reached forward and gently petted Eleanor's head. "Well, hello, Eleanor. I think my brother likes you. Which is a huge surprise. He's one _grumpy_ thirteen year old. Just a warning."

The bird made a shrill noise and nuzzled Jason's hand.

"Well," The zookeeper said with a smirk. "She certainly likes you."

It was Nate's turn and he was surprised when the bird came to him. She walked in between his legs and circled one before stopping behind it and hiding there. Nate smiled softly and bent over to look at her. She peeked out from behind his leg and then waddled around the other side. She pointed her nose up toward his and studied him closely for a moment before she made another longer shrill sound. He held out his fish to her and she immediately took it. It was eaten in one bite again and Nate's eyebrows rose. "You must be hungry. That's your third fish in the last few minutes."

Eleanor forced her small head under his hand and nuzzled against it just like she did Jason's. Nate reached toward the bird's small chest and tickled the bird lightly. She made loud short barking noises and wiggled. He laughed at the sound. It truly sounded like a laugh. An uncontrolled laugh.

Alright, so maybe he would allow himself to like _one_ kind of bird. But you'd have to be truly heartless not to like _penguins_.


	2. Closeted

Every Penguin Has a Song

By angellwings

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><p><em>Closeted<em>

_Summer 2008_

* * *

><p>Nate had kept his newfound love of penguins to himself. He had an image to protect, after all. But Jason was deliberately making things difficult. He'd left a stuffed plush penguin in Nate's dressing room before every show so far, and now he was leaving DVDs for him in the bin full of gifts from fans so that security would see them.<p>

They were starting to ask questions.

"_Dude, what is with all the penguins? Do you have an obsession we don't know about?"_

Shane slammed the door to the green room closed as he entered. "Have you seen Bryan?"

Nate quirked a brow at him. "No, why?"

"I'm the only person whose hair hasn't been done yet, and it's starting to frizz. I _told_ him not to save me for last anymore," Shane said with a scoff. "I mean how many tantrums do I have to throw before someone listens?"

Nate rolled his eyes. "Why do you have to throw tantrums at all?"

"People respond to them and it keeps the fakes away," Shane told him. "If the label wants me to _sound_ like a pop star then I'm going to _act_ like pop star."

"You're going to get us in trouble with the label if you keep this up," Nate warned him.

"So? Maybe they'll drop us and we can find a _real_ label," Shane snapped.

Nate glared at him. "Shut up. Someone might hear you. I, for one, don't _want_ to be dropped."

"You hate the music they make us record as much I do," Shane reminded him.

"Yes, but I like being able to actually _make_ music and not _starve_," Nate said with a scolding glare. "Now shut up."

"You just don't want to have to stop funding your penguin fetish," Shane said as he threw himself down in a chair.

Nate blushed. "That word doesn't mean what you think it means. I do not have a penguin _fetish_."

"What's the big deal? You like penguins. You have human emotions," Shane said with a shrug. "Is it that terrible?"

"I'm fourteen, Shane," Nate reminded him.

"Yes, I know. And I'm sixteen. How is that relevant?" Shane asked.

"People have a hard _enough_ time taking us seriously," Nate told him. "We're _kids_ and acting like kids or liking the things kids like will not help us gain ground with the label. If they keep seeing us as kids we'll never get to make our own music. You know that as well as I do."

"So, your solution is to make them think you're a grumpy old man?" Shane asked with a grin. "And I thought my male diva act was bad."

"Your male diva act _is_ bad," Nate told him with a huff. "Please don't take it too far."

"I won't," Shane said as he waved off his concern. "I'll use it until people build up a resistance to it."

The door opened suddenly and Jason smiled brightly at them. "Hey guys! Guess what—"

"If it's another penguin movie…_keep it_," Nate said with a glare.

Jason smirked and chuckled. "Well, I thought about buying you tickets to _Surf's Up_ when it comes out next week, but I didn't. Not what I came in here to say though."

"Then _what_?" Nate asked.

"I got an invite from Lindy again. She wants us to come by the zoo for a promotional thing in a couple of weeks. Can we? _Please_?" Jason asked eagerly.

Nate quirked a brow at him. "Will we get to see the penguins?"

"Lindy said we could visit with whatever animals we wanted. I'm sure that would include Eleanor the Penguin," Jason said with a knowing grin. "So? What do you say?"

"I'm up for it," Nate said with a shrug before he glanced over at Shane. "But you'll have to get an okay from Diva-boy."

Jason laughed loudly. "Diva-boy. Good one."

Shane rolled his eyes and shoved Nate. "Why did I get stuck with _you two_ as brothers?"

"Because no other family would be patient enough to deal with you," Jason told him.

Nate nodded in agreement. "And even _that_ patience is wearing thin."

"Gee, thanks guys," Shane said sarcastically. "With brothers like you two, who needs enemies?"


	3. Ella

Every Penguin Has a Song

By angellwings

* * *

><p><em>Ella<em>

_Summer 2009_

* * *

><p>Nate came off the stage after Final Jam and smiled brightly. He hadn't had that much fun in a long time. But he suspected that was all about to change. The label loved the new stuff they'd sent them and were all set to let Connect 3 have control of their <em>own music<em> for once. Something landed at his feet and Nate immediately picked it up. He groaned the minute he realized what it was.

A small stuffed plush penguin.

He looked around for Jason and found him smirking at him knowingly. He waved at Nate and Nate glared at him in return. About a second later someone ran into him. He blindly reached out to steady whoever it was and hopefully steady himself as well. He opened his eyes to find a very pretty and very short girl staring at him. He remembered her from the Jam. She was a part of that Hasta La Vista group. She blushed and bit her lip as she looked down at the floor.

"Sorry," she said as she brushed her black hair out of her eyes. "I wasn't really watching where I was going."

He shrugged and gave her a small grin. "No harm done." He reached out a hand for her to shake. "I'm Nate, by the way."

Her warm chocolate eyes connected with his again and the thought suddenly struck him that this girl was _uncommonly_ pretty. She smirked and nodded. "I know." She shook his hand and bit her bottom lip again. "I'm Ella."

His eyes flashed to the penguin plush in his other hand and then back to her. "Ella as in…Eleanor?"

Her eyes widened. "Yeah, how did you know? Are you like…psychic or something?"

Nate's eyes found Jason again as he chatted up some girl in a leopard print top. He sighed and shook his head. "Not psychic. It was just…a guess."

Suddenly Ella made a gushing high pitched noise. "Is that a stuffed penguin?"

"Oh," Nate said with a gulp as he held up the small plush animal. "Yeah, it is."

"Is it yours?" Ella asked. Nate immediately shook his head no.

"I—I just found it on the stage."

"Oh," Ella said with a smile. "Well, do you want it?"

He flashed a lopsided grin at her. "Why? Do you?"

She smiled shyly. "Only if you don't. Since you found it."

He placed the stuffed penguin in her hand and smiled pleasantly. "Go ahead, take it."

"Thanks!" Ella said excitedly. "Penguins may not be as awesome as dinosaurs but they're still completely adorable."

"_You_ like dinosaurs?" Nate asked.

"Why do people always sound so surprised when I tell them that?" Ella said with a shake of her head. "Dinosaurs are amazing."

"It's just that you're so _sparkly_ and dinosaurs…_aren't_," Nate said with a smirk as he motioned to her bright pink sequin covered shirt.

She shrugged. "I think we all like at least _one_ unexpected thing. Like I bet you'd never guess that Peggy _loves_ country music. She has every single album Dolly Parton's ever released."

"The girl who won Final Jam listens to _country_ music?" Nate asked in disbelief.

"Yep, every day," Ella said with a smile. "What about you?"

"Me?" Nate asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, you," Ella said with a grin.

"Well, Honestly? Honestly I really like—"

"Nate! Time for press photos, man," Shane said loudly as he called Nate over to where he stood with Peggy. Nate breathed a sigh of relief at the interruption.

"Sorry, I gotta go," Nate said apologetically. "But it was nice to meet you."

"You too. Hopefully I'll see you again soon," Ella said as she watched him walk away. He could feel her eyes on his back.

It was clear Ella had been sent to him on purpose. Whether Jason or Shane was responsible was the real question. They were obviously trying to set him up for something. It couldn't be a coincidence that they sent a girl his way who liked penguins and whose full name was Eleanor. He smirked to himself as he met his brothers for Pictures. He had to hand it to them, Ella certainly _was_ cute.

But, regardless, they could all use a musical re-awakening in his opinion, and Camp Rock was the place to do it. Maybe he and Jason should come back _with _Shane next summer. They had a new sound to develop and perfect, after all.


	4. Dana

Every Penguin Has a Song

By angellwings

* * *

><p><em>Dana<em>

_Summer 2010_

* * *

><p>Nate had come to camp with the intention of avoiding any sort of alone time with Ella. He'd struck up a friendship with her during the year and not only did she like penguins but she was an all together adorable person. An all together adorable person who talked to him about other guys. So, he was hoping to avoid becoming too emotionally attached to her (<em>already too late for that<em>) by focusing on the music. That was the plan, at least.

And then Dana had come along. She was the first girl other than Ella that he found amusing and adorable all at once. But unlike Ella he couldn't seem to actually _talk_ to her. And now she'd told him he was just like every other guy she knew. He didn't talk about himself and he didn't seem interested in letting her get to know him. But he was. He really was. For someone whose father was a selfish and greedy mogul she was surprisingly humble and sweet. He was intrigued, but telling anyone about himself had always been difficult. He slammed his fist into the outside wall of the Mess Hall, and immediately recoiled in pain.

"Ohmigod, are you okay?"

A hand landed on his shoulder and he immediately knew who it was. "I'm fine, Ella."

"Let me see your hand," She said as she reached out and took his still fisted hand. "You know, as a guitarist, you might want to rethink blindly punching solid things in the future."

Her slender callused fingers ran across his knuckles and he immediately felt something tingly. Whether it was the pain or just _Ella_ he couldn't tell.

"Well, you broke the skin," Ella told him with a gentle smile. "And you'll for sure have some bruises, but I don't think it's broken considering how tightly you're gripping my hand."

He blushed and quickly pulled his hand from hers. "Sorry."

"So, what's wrong?" Ella asked as she put a hand on her hip. "You're not the type to needlessly punch things."

"Dana," Nate said simply.

Ella looked down at the ground and nodded. "Ah. So, what did you do?"

"Apparently, my inability to talk around her is insulting to her," Nate said with a sigh.

Ella shrugged. "Then talk."

Nate quirked a brow at her. "Gee, thanks for that wonderful advice, Ells."

"That's what you told me when I asked you for advice about Henry, remember?" Ella said with a smirk. "Now it's time to take your _own_ advice, Nathaniel."

He sighed. "I wouldn't have said that if I knew you'd remember it for later."

She chuckled and took his injured hand. "Come on."

"What?" Nate asked. "Where are we going?"

"I want to show you something," Ella said as she pulled him toward the "Wardrobe Cabin" that she'd thrown together in the last few weeks. It was a rehearsal cabin that no one ever used and Ella had permanently adopted it as her work room. They walked through the door and Ella released his hand. She headed for the corner of the room surrounded by a curtain. Ella had separated it and filled it with cheap clothing racks to make a wardrobe closet for her creations. She came back out and tossed something at him. He caught it easily and then glanced down at it.

It was a pair of socks. With penguins on them. His head jerked upward and he stared at her. "What is this?"

She smirked at him. "You like penguins, right?"

"I—I…not particularly."

She chuckled and shook her head. "Liar."

He blinked at her. "How did you know?"

"Connect Three does a _lot_ of fundraisers for the Santa Barbara Zoo, and you know who their most famous animal is, Nate?" Ella asked with a grin. "Eleanor the Humboldt Penguin. They have a huge aviary _full_ of birds, but Eleanor is their most famous. Plus, Jason let it slip that you loved that zoo almost as much as he did and I know that you _hate_ most birds. The ones that actually fly, at least. So I put two and two together."

Nate smirked at her and nodded. "I see."

"It also explains why you freaked out last summer when you found out my full first name," Ella said with a light laugh. "Your face was totally panicked when I told you my name."

He blushed and nodded. "So, why are you giving me these now?"

He held the socks up and examined them closer, and she smiled warmly. "Well, maybe penguins will help you think of something. Give you some kind of inspiration. I don't know. I thought at the very least they would make you lighten up a bit." She shrugged. "I mean, I know you really like Dana but if it doesn't work out then maybe it's because…there's someone even _better_ out there, you know? Like in _Happy Feet_. Maybe Dana isn't the person that can truly hear your heart song, but that doesn't mean there's not someone out there who _can_."

He smiled gently at her. "You do make a good point."

"So, lighten up and just…try and _hear_ what she wants," Ella told him. "I'm willing to bet she doesn't want you to say anything _life changing_. She just wants you to _talk_, Nate. To tell her something about you. Even if it's…you're trying to grow a mustache or something else equally silly."

He immediately perked up. "What?"

"What?" Ella asked in confusion. "What did I say?"

He smiled brightly. "You said exactly what I needed to hear, Ells. I gotta go."

"Um, okay," She said with a nod. "See you at rehearsal later?"

"Yes, definitely," Nate said as he turned and walked out the door. He called out over his shoulder as he sprinted away, "Thanks, Ella!"

She waved slowly and stared at the doorway in confusion. "You're welcome, Nate. Bye."


	5. Doodles

Every Penguin Has a Song

By angellwings

* * *

><p><em>Doodles<em>

_Summer 2011_

* * *

><p>Nate was having a terrible day. Dana was mad at him for reasons unknown, he was completely stuck on a song, and he'd been late for every class he was supposed to be teaching today. Brown had pulled him into his office and said he thought Nate was stretching himself too thin and then told him he was giving Andy half of his class load. So now, Nate had free time he didn't know what to do with, and it was allowing him to wallow. He didn't like to wallow.<p>

He was trying to think back and pinpoint what he'd done to make Dana mad. She wasn't someone who was easily angered so either he'd done something and hadn't noticed it or he'd _forgotten_ to do something. Did they have a date he forgot about? He pulled his planner and notebook out of his bag as he sat down on his cabin's porch. No, no date. Maybe an anniversary? Her birthday? No neither of those. So what was it?

He'd seen her _that_ morning, and everything had been fine but then she'd left angrily.

"_So, are we on for lunch tomorrow?" She'd asked as she stood up and wiped the sand off of her hands._

That's when it all went wrong. He'd answered her and then she'd stared at him in shock before glaring and storming away toward her canoe. He'd said _yes_. What about that had made her mad?

He huffed and turned the page in his planner to the next day and he'd smiled softly at the small doodle in the corner of the page. It was a penguin. A penguin that looked a lot like Eleanor. The penguin was staring at a bucket of fish surrounded by hearts, and the words "true love" were written neatly above it. He chuckled and ran a finger across Ella's initials that were underneath it. She'd drawn it during a staff meeting and he'd had to fight to keep from laughing the whole time.

He froze and the smile suddenly disappeared from his face. He cursed and snapped the planner shut. Oh no. _Oh no_. He remembered what he did now.

"_Of course we're on, Ella_."

He groaned and buried his face in his hands. He'd called _Dana_ Ella. How stupid could he be? And _why_ did he do that? He knew she was Dana. He _knew_ that. So why had he slipped up and called her Ella? Something suddenly blocked out the sun and a throat cleared in front of him. He slowly looked up to find Tess glaring at him.

Tess and Dana had become very close since the previous summer and Nate had a feeling whatever she wanted to say…he deserved.

"You called your _girlfriend_ by the name of _another girl_," Tess sneered. "How stupid are you?"

Nate grimaced and looked shamefully down at the ground. "It was an accident."

"If you're going the cheat on someone then you should at least be able to keep your girls straight," Tess said bitingly.

"I'm not cheating on Dana," Nate said as he stood up.

"You're not?" Tess asked doubtfully. "Come on, Nate. Everyone here sees how you and Ella act around each other. She tries not to flirt with you, but Ella's not good at hiding her emotions no matter how much she insists otherwise. Something _has_ to be going on."

His brow furrowed. "She flirts with me?"

"Oh, don't pretend you've never noticed."

"But I…I haven't," Nate said with a gulp. "God this is so messed up. I haven't been cheating on anyone. Ella really likes Dana, Tess. You know that. She would never do that to her. If you don't believe in me then you should at least believe in _her_. She's the most honest of all of us, with the exception of Jason. She wouldn't hurt a fly, let alone someone she considers to be a friend."

Tess huffed and nodded. "Fine, I'll give you that one. Ella's too loyal for that, but that doesn't mean _you_ haven't been _emotionally_ cheating on Dana. It's pretty obvious that you _seriously_ care for Ella, Nate."

"It doesn't matter how I feel about Ella," Nate said as he glared at Tess. "She doesn't feel that way for me so nothing is going to happen. Why should I waste my time on it when nothing is ever going to happen?"

"Oh, so, you're using Dana as a distraction then?" Tess said with a tense jaw.

Nate groaned. "Up until today I have been a pretty good boyfriend. One little slip up and suddenly everything is ruined."

"It's not a little slip up, Nate. It's a big one that speaks _volumes_," Tess told him with a sigh. "You need to find Dana and talk to her about this. _Now_."

He closed his eyes and shook his head. "You know as well as I do what I have to do."

Tess nodded. "Break up with Dana or stop being friends with Ella. You obviously can't do both."

"I can't stop being friends with Ella," Nate said softly at he stared at his closed planner.

Tess gave him a sympathetic look. "Then I think you have your answer, Gray."

He sighed. "And I thought the day couldn't get worse."

"Good luck," Tess said. She reluctantly patted his shoulder and then walked away.

He reached down for his bag and when he picked it up a folded piece of paper fell out. His brow furrowed and he sighed sadly as he recognized the handwriting. It was from Ella. He slowly unfolded it and smiled warmly at what was on the inside. It was another doodle of a penguin that looked like Eleanor and this one was staring at a sketch of Shane. He'd told her about how Eleanor liked to tease Shane by nipping at whatever she could get to. Shane looked alarmed and Eleanor was running toward him with a highly amused expression. Nate chuckled softly and shook his head. There was a note sloppily scrawled across the bottom.

"_You looked like you needed a little cheering up. Bad day? Hope this helps! –Ella"_

Tess was right. His decision was already made. If he was honest with himself this day had been a long time coming. He should have known better than to date someone else while he had real feelings for Ella. He only hoped Dana wouldn't blame Ella for _his_ mistake. She didn't deserve that.


	6. Conflicted

Every Penguin Has a Song

By angellwings

* * *

><p><em>Conflicted<em>

_Summer 2012_

* * *

><p>"Dude, you have to come out of this cabin at some point," Shane said with a huff. "People are starting to worry, man."<p>

"Dana hates me. _Or Ella_. I can't seem to write. And everyone's talking about me behind my back. No thanks, I'd rather stay here," Nate said with a glare. "It's almost been a year. You'd think people would be over it already."

"Maybe if you ventured out in public more they _would be_," Shane said as he gathered what he needed for his stage performance class.

"I don't have classes today. I have no reason to leave," Nate said as he pulled out his song writing notebook and stared longingly at his guitar. He wanted to write…but he couldn't.

"Fine, but Jase and I have already decided we're not bringing you food today," Shane told him. "You come to the Mess Hall or you don't eat, brother."

He rolled his eyes. "Great, thanks."

"It's for your own good. I'll see you at lunch," Shane said as he turned and left the cabin.

"Breaking up with Dana was supposed to be for my own good too, but we see how that worked out," Nate muttered as he flopped down on his bed. There was a knock on the screen door and Nate heard it creak loudly.

"Hello? Anyone here? Nate?"

His eyes widened and he popped up out of bed almost instantly. "El—Ella!"

She didn't smile when she saw him but she did wave. "Hi. You're here."

"I'm always here," Nate told her.

Ella gulped and nodded. "We need to talk."

"I thought you might say that," Nate said with a sigh. "What about?"

"I'm just…I'm confused," Ella said as she stepped further inside the cabin. "Dana won't talk to me and Tess keeps glaring at me when she doesn't think I'm looking. Mitchie and Caitlyn and Peggy all whisper things and then stop suddenly when I walk into the room, and you never come to meals or hang out with all of us anymore. And yet no one…no one will tell me what's going on. All I can manage to figure out is that it has something to do _with you_."

His brow furrowed. "You mean…you mean you don't know?"

Ella made a frustrated noise and sat down on Nate's bed. "What am I supposed to _know_? No one will _tell me!_ I mean I've lost a friend, I think I'm about to lose another one, and then you…What did I do, Nate? Somebody tell me."

Nate sat down next to Ella and shook his head. "You didn't do anything, Ella."

"Then why won't Dana talk to me? And why do I feel like Caitlyn and Mitchie and Peggy all pity me for some reason? _Something_ has changed but I don't know what it is," Ella said as she looked down at her hands.

"It's not you, Ella. It's all me," Nate admitted.

Ella's brow furrowed. "If it's all you then why are people treating me so differently?"

Nate pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and placed it in her hands. She opened it and grinned slightly at the penguin doodle on the paper. She saw her hand writing and gave Nate a strange look.

"This is from last summer. You kept this?"

"Do you remember the day you put that in my bag?"

"Yeah, you were being all sullen and quiet like that time when Shane scratched your new guitar," Ella said with a faint smile.

"That's because Dana was mad at me that day, and I couldn't figure out why," Nate told her honestly.

"Did you ask her?" Ella asked.

"Oh, I remembered later that day. Just before I found that paper actually," Nate said with a sigh. He ran his hands through his hair and waited for her to ask the question he knew was coming.

"What did you do?"

He glanced at her quickly before turning his gaze to the floor. He spoke up quietly. "I called her Ella."

He saw Ella's muscles tense out of the corner of his eye and heard her gasp. "You…you what?"

"I called her by your name," Nate said again.

"What? W—why?" She paused for a moment before she spoke again. "Is that…is that why the two of you broke up?"

"It was either break up with her or stop being friends with you, and there was no way I was going to stop being your friend, Ells. You're too important," Nate said nervously.

Ella inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. "So that's why she won't talk to me or look at me and that also explains why Tess glares at me every now and then. I see."

"I'm sorry, Ella. You didn't do anything to deserve that. It was my fault and they shouldn't take that out on you."

She bit her bottom lip. "I can't exactly blame them, Nate. If Shane called Mitchie by another girl's name I don't think I'd be very nice to that girl either."

"But _I'm _the one who thought it was a good idea to date another girl while I had serious feeling for you," Nate said impulsively. "It was my mistake and I should have known better." The words were out of his mouth before he even realized what he was saying. His eyes widened and he winced. He sincerely hoped he'd _imagined_ saying that. "Did I say that out loud?"

He closed his eyes and waited for her reaction, but she surprised him but covering his hands with hers. "Did you just say what I think you said?"

"Apparently so," He said softly.

"You mean, two summers ago before you asked Dana out…you had feelings for me?" Ella asked quietly.

"Yes," Nate admitted.

"But…you couldn't have."

"I'm fairly certain I could have and did, Ells."

"Did?" Ella asked as removed one of her hands from his.

He held the hand that remained on his and squeezed it tightly as if he were begging her not to let go. "_Do_. I should have said _do_."

"Well, you should have just said so," Ella said as she angled herself toward him. "I…I was waiting for you to, but I gave up when Dana caught your eye. I thought…I thought I'd been reading you wrong the entire time."

He gave her a strange look. "But…what about _Henry_?"

"Henry never really existed, Nate," Ella said with a giggle. "Caitlyn thought me talking about another guy would make you jealous."

"Well, it worked," Nate said as he rolled his eyes. "Remind me to have a serious talk with Caitlyn later."

"So," Ella said as she looked up and caught his gaze. "Where does this leave _us_?"

"Where do you want it to leave us?" Nate asked nervously.

Ella smiled shyly and scooted a little closer to him. "Together, I hope."

He gently cupped the side of her face with his hand and smiled brightly. "I think we can manage that."


	7. Recovery

Every Penguin Has a Song

By angellwings

* * *

><p><em>Recovery<em>

_Summer 2013_

* * *

><p>Ella was walking the trail through the woods that led to her cabin when she was suddenly grabbed from behind and pulled off the trail. Her back collided against a tree trunk and an assertive pair of lips suddenly landed on her neck. She gasped and then smiled brightly at the dark curly hair that suddenly filled her line of sight. "Well, this is new."<p>

"My afternoon class was canceled," He told her between kisses.

She giggled. "Nate, you're the teacher. _You_ cancel the classes."

"Exactly," He said before he placed a soft kiss on her collar bone. "With Final Jam coming up I'd say we both deserve a break, wouldn't you?"

She sighed and relaxed against the tree as her hands dug into his hair. His teeth raked across her skin and she gulped. "Oh God, a _break_ sounds amazing."

He slowly kissed his way up her neck and stopped just above her lips. "I want to ask you something."

Ella quirked a brow at him. "Yes?"

"So, you have a week after camp before you have to move into your dorm, right?"

She nodded. "Yes. Why?"

"Well, we're supposed to go to the Zoo again as soon as camp ends," Nate said with a small smile. "And I was wondering if you wanted to come along."

Ella smiled brightly at him. "Will I get to meet Eleanor?"

Nate nodded. "Of course."

"Then I'm totally there, Nathaniel."

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Definitely," Ella said as she brought her hands to either side of his face. "I wouldn't miss it."

He smiled a rare wide smile and Ella took it all in. He rarely ever smiled like that. His smiles were usually thin with closed lips but with this one he was showing her all of his teeth. It was perfect. There was an excited pause and then suddenly Nate was back to kissing her with everything he had. She laughed against his mouth as his lips connected with hers. Things couldn't get much better than this.

* * *

><p>Camp was over, but there was still a little bit of time left before Nate and Ella were violently shoved back into their regularly scheduled lives. Ella wasn't the only girl on this trip to the zoo. Caitlyn was with them and Mitchie had been invited but her classes started sooner than anyone else's. Ella knew Caitlyn had agreed to come to meet this Lindy woman Jason always gushed about. Jason had a bit of a school boy crush on Lindy. Everyone knew it, and Caitlyn was sick of hearing about her.<p>

Ella snuggled into Nate's side in the back seat of the car and he smiled warmly at her before putting his arm around her shoulders. Shane had opted to go visit Mitchie before Connect Three went out on tour so he wasn't with them. Which left the four of them in a strange double date-like scenario.

"Lindy really liked your birdhouse, by the way, Caity," Jason said brightly.

Nate and Ella shared a look that silently prayed for Jason not to screw this up.

"Oh really?" They heard Caitlyn ask. Jason and Caitlyn were in the seat in front of them. "You showed it to her?"

"No, I gave it to her," Jason said casually.

There was tense silence throughout the large SUV the guys were always driven around in and Nate winced and made a face at Ella.

"You gave her the birdhouse that I made…_for you_?"

"Well, yes. There was a bird that needed a house and yours looked so awesome that I knew she would love it," Jason said hesitantly with an audible gulp.

"Hey, so," Ella said loudly. "How much longer till we get there?"

"Not long," The member of security who was driving answered. "Five minutes maybe."

"Oh good, five minutes," Ella said with a nod. "Let's, um, play a game or something. Punch Buggy anyone?"

Nate's eyes widened and he gave Ella a panicked look. He mouthed the words "_bad idea"_ to her and shook his head. Ella realized her mistake and winced.

"On second thought, let's play the alphabet game or I Spy—"

"No, I like the first one. Punch Buggy sounds _perfect_," Caitlyn said as she glared out the window. "Oh look, _Punch Buggy_."

Ella looked away as Caitlyn punched Jason's arm as hard as she could.

"Holy shit! _Ow!_ What the hell was that?" He asked as he leaned away from her and rubbed his sore arm.

"Just playing the game, Jason," Caitlyn said sullenly.

The security guard in the front passenger seat eyed Caitlyn nervously. "Um, this may not be the best game at this particular moment."

"Okay," Caitlyn said as she turned a glare on Jason. "I spy a selfish douche who gives away handmade presents like they mean _nothing_." Jason's eyes widened as he finally understood what was going on. "Any guesses?" Caitlyn asked. "No? Guess I win then."

"Caity," Jason said softly. "I didn't mean anything by it—"

"Don't Caity me, you jackass," Caitlyn said with a sad sigh. "You gave a present I _made for you_ to _another_ woman. I'm done talking to you for today."

Ella sighed and shook her head. "No offense, Nate, but your family is full of stupid men."

Nate smirked at her. "Are you including me in that?"

"Instead of telling me how you felt you dated someone else, Nathaniel. Of course, you're included."

The SUV finally parked and the four of them were escorted inside the zoo and to the backstage areas. The closer they got to the bird aviary the slower Caitlyn walked.

"You know what," Caitlyn said with a sigh. "I think I'm gonna go."

Jason immediately turned to face her. "Go where?"

"I don't know. Go walk around the actual zoo, I guess?" She answered in a snippy tone. "I don't think I'm in the mood to meet this _Lindy_ anymore."

She turned and walked away and Jason immediately chased after her. "Caitlyn! Wait!"

The security guards huffed and looked at Nate and Ella as if asking if they would be okay without them. Caitlyn and Jason were about to go into the public area of the zoo and they were both upset. They needed security more than Nate or Ella did.

Nate nodded and waved them off. "Go, Jason will need you to protect him from Caitlyn. Trust me."

He led Ella to the back entrance to the stage for the bird show and they found Lindy the Zookeeper waiting on them.

"There you guys are," Lindy said with a smile. "Where's Jason and the friend he said he wanted me to meet?"

"Um, they've been…_delayed_," Nate said as he cleared his throat. "They'll probably be a while. But _I_ do have someone I want you to meet—"

Lindy interrupted him and smiled at Ella. "You're Ella, right? The girlfriend?"

She blushed and smiled brightly. "That's me."

"I've heard quite a bit about you and I have been looking very forward to meeting you," Lindy said as she shook Ella's hand. "I've been wondering about the girl that can put up with the Grumpy Gus over here."

Nate blinked at her and rolled his eyes. "Gee, thank you, Lindy."

"He's told me quite a bit about you," Lindy said with a smirk. "And I do mean _quite _a bit. For _years_ now he's _gushed _about—"

"_Okay_, Lindy, I think she gets it," Nate said as he glared at her. He turned to Ella and smiled sheepishly. "We talked about the fact that I was crazy about you for about two full years before anything happened, right?"

Ella laughed softly and nodded. "Yes, we did."

"Right, well since it's just Nate we'd better walk briskly through all the other birds, yes?" Lindy suggested as she opened the door and motioned for Nate and Ella to follow her. "The first time I brought him and Shane and Jason through here Nate looked so terrified. I thought he was going to bolt out of the room at any second."

That same parrot squawked and flapped it's wings at Nate as they passed it. He jumped just like he always did - only this time Ella was there to grab his arm and smile sympathetically at him. "How do birds not scare _the crap_ out of anyone else?"

"Nate," Ella said as she linked her arm through his and rubbed his forearm soothingly. "Birds are not going to hurt you. Not the birds here anyway."

"Not the birds _here_ anyway?" Nate repeated. "Was that supposed to make me feel better?"

Ella chuckled at him. "Yes, Nathaniel. It was."

"Well, it didn't work. Now I'm just paranoid about all the birds _out there_. I'm never going to look at pigeons the same way ever again," Nate muttered as they finally reached the familiar door that he knew would lead to Eleanor. Lindy closed the door behind them and handed Nate the metal bucket of fish.

"You know what to do, kid. So I'm gonna leave you to it. Eleanor should be here any minute. I told them to send her over from the habitat," Lindy said. "You guys have fun. Eleanor's been excited about this all week. We told her you were coming."

She winked and then left Nate and Ella alone.

There was a splash in the water in front of him and a black and white shape slowly climbed out. Eleanor lifted her wings and waddled over to Nate and Ella slowly. She was moving slower but her limp was all but gone. Nate knelt down as she approached and immediately held out his fish for her. She took it without hesitation and swallowed it in one gulp. She nuzzled her head against his hand and then he saw her look around as if she were expecting more people.

He grinned and chuckled. "Sorry, Nora, Jason and Shane aren't here. Well, Jason is, but he won't be in to see you for a while."

She looked up and tilted her head at him before she finally noticed Ella. She stared at Ella for a very long time before she made her way toward her. Nate handed Ella a fish and motioned to Eleanor. Ella smiled softly at the penguin and quickly settled down on her knees and folded her legs underneath her.

"Hello, Eleanor," Ella said to the penguin as she waddled closer. "I'm Ella. I've heard so much about you." Eleanor blinked at her before suddenly making a shrill high pitched sound and nestling herself against Ella's side. Nate's eyes widened and he smiled brightly.

Ella held out the fish to Eleanor. The penguin accepted it and ate it slowly as she nestled closer to Ella. She wedged her head under Ella's hand and squawked again. Ella got the hint and pet the back of the Eleanor's head. Eleanor pulled away after a few minutes and walked over to Nate as he continued to kneel. She nipped at his sleeve and pulled him closer to Ella. Once they were seated next to each other she let out a longer shrill noise and then quickly made her way back to the water. Nate and Ella watched in confusion as she jumped in the water and swam away.

Ella's brow furrowed. "Does she always come and go so quickly?"

"No," Nate said slowly. "Never."

"Is she coming back?" Ella asked.

"I do not know," Nate answered. "She's never done this before."

"It's not because of me, right?" Ella asked. "I mean, she seemed to like me, didn't she?"

Nate smiled at Ella and took her hand. "She loved you, Ella. That's obvious."

Ella visibly relaxed and sighed in relief. "Good."

Nate chuckled and leaned forward to kiss her cheek. "You're adorable. You're worried about what a _penguin _thinks of you. I love that."

"You do?" Ella asked with a small smile.

He nodded and continued hesitantly. "I _love_ you, Ella."

Ella beamed at him and took in a slow deep breath. "You…you what?"

"I love you," Nate said with a smile.

"I—I love you too," Ella said as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him hard on the mouth.

There was a splash from across the room and they immediately pulled apart to find Eleanor waddling toward them again. She had something in her beak and when she was close enough she placed it on the ground in front of the couple and pushed it toward them. She squawked and continued to push it until Nate reached forward for it. Nate started to pick it up but Eleanor snapped at his hand and knocked it away. Nate pulled back and his eyes widened.

"Okay," He said as he held his hands up in surrender. "It's not for me. I get it."

Eleanor turned to look at Ella and then glanced down at the object expectantly.

Ella smiled and reached for it slowly. "Is this for me?" Ella gently picked up the small object and held it in her hand. It was a perfectly smooth pebble that was no bigger than a gold dollar coin, and it looked like a lopsided heart. Ella smiled softly at Eleanor and handed her another fish from the metal basket. "Thank you, Nora. I love it."

Nate reached forward and scratched Eleanor's back and then tickled her stomach. The little penguin let out that loud cackle that he loved so much and wiggled underneath his hand. He had no doubt in his mind that Ella was the girl from him and Eleanor's approval just sealed the deal. Ella and Nate played with Eleanor for a bit longer until Lindy came to get them so she could warm up the animals and prepare them for the show. Nate and Ella washed their hands before they left the bird aviary and then headed toward the onstage entrance hand in hand.

As they passed a shadowy spot by the door they heard a recognizable giggle and the words "Jas-_on_, stop it."

Ella and Nate both froze.

"Please tell me that that wasn't—"

Ella gulped. "I'm afraid it _was,_ Nate."

"You look. I can't seem to move."

Ella cleared her throat and stepped closer to the shadows. "Caitlyn? Jase?"

After a few moments they both emerged from the corner with swollen lips and messed up hair. Caitlyn's cardigan was missing and her t-shirt was bunched up in the back while Jason's collar was crushed and there were severely wrinkled portions of his shirt on his shoulders as if someone had held it in their fists. Both had red faces and were breathing heavily. Ella could even spot the beginnings of a few hickeys on Caitlyn's neck.

"Oh, um, hi, Ella," Caitlyn said as she blushed and tried to make herself look presentable. "We've been looking all over the place for you guys."

Nate quirked a brow at Caitlyn and smirked. "Sure, you have."


	8. Away

Every Penguin Has a Song

By angellwings

* * *

><p><em>Away<em>

_Summer 2014_

* * *

><p>For the millionth time that summer Ella pulled out her Camp Rock photo album. She missed it so much. She didn't regret accepting her internship in Italy. How could she? There was so much fashion for her to see and explore, but she did miss her friends and her home away from home.<p>

_And Nate_.

There was so much to miss about Nate. It was the little things she missed the most. Just him _being_ there and hearing his breathing, his heartbeat, his…bodyheat. His physical presence had always been comforting to her and now that comfort was a million miles away. The only thing here that reminded her of home was her photo album. She'd fallen asleep while looking through it the night before last and woke up to find that she was hugging it against her chest like a teddy bear.

Why did amazing opportunities always have drawbacks? Couldn't she have an opportunity like this one _and_ have her boyfriend nearby? Why wasn't that possible?

"Oh my God, Ella," Her roommate exclaimed with a sigh. "Put away the album. Good lord, you are the saddest human being I have ever seen. Do you think your boyfriend is at home moping? No, he's out doing whatever the hell it is you guys do at the Camp you love so much. You need to get all dolled up and come out with us. I can promise you there will be lots of alcohol and lots of good company to keep your mind off of your rockstar."

Ella gave Nina a bored look. "By good company you mean hot Italian guys, don't you?"

She grinned and nodded. "Could it possibly mean anything else?"

"No thanks, Nina. No hot Italian guys for me. But I do think I will go out for a bit. What time is it?" Ella asked as she stood up from the couch.

"Two," Nina told her. "Where are you gonna go?"

Ella glanced down at her bracelet with a soft smile before she answered. Nate had the pebble Eleanor had given her braided into a brightly colored rope bracelet. "The zoo. There's a zoo here, right?"

Nina quirked a brow at her. "You're going to _the zoo_ – alone?"

"Yes, I am," Ella said with a nod as she picked up her photo album. She took it to her room and grabbed her purse and keys. "I'll be back sometime. Call me if you need me."

Ella waved goodbye to Nina as she left the apartment and smiled to herself as she set out to find the zoo. She finally found it, paid her admission and then _prayed _they had penguins. It would be a _small_ comfort but at least it would be _something_. She walked around until she saw a habitat covered in small black and white birds. The minute she saw them she squealed in delight and headed to the tunnels where visitors could watch the penguins swim and play underwater. She pressed a hand against the cool glass and breathed a contented sigh. She dug through her purse for her phone and then immediately dialed Nate's number.

"Ella?"

She smiled softly at the groggy tone of his voice. She'd forgotten how early it would be where he was. "Hey, Nate. Did I wake you?"

"Yes, but trust me, I'm okay with that."

"Guess where I am right now?" Ella asked as she watched a penguin swim by her.

"Well, if the universe loves me at all you've just landed at LAX and you're on your way to camp."

Ella sighed. "I wish."

"Then where are you?" He asked.

"At a zoo. Watching the penguins," Ella said quietly.

"You're spending your day off at a zoo?" Nate asked in an amused tone.

"I…needed to feel close to you," Ella told him. "I miss you."

"I miss you too, Ella," Nate said gently. "You have no idea how much."

"Trust me, Nate. I _know_. I really and truly _know_."

"There's just a few more weeks, Ella," Nate assured her. "A few more weeks and then I'll see you at the airport."

She smiled softly. "You will? I thought security said you couldn't—"

"Trust me, Ella, I'll be there. I don't care if I have to wear a clown costume as a disguise. I'll be there," Nate said in a determined voice.

Ella chuckled and leaned her head against the glass. "I'll hold you to that."


	9. Changes

Every Penguin Has a Song

By angellwings

* * *

><p><em>Changes<em>

_Summer 2015_

* * *

><p>Ella leaned against the wall that led to Nate's home office and watched him work. He wasn't getting much done. She could tell he was distracted. He'd been staring at the same sheet of music for over an hour.<p>

"Nate? Are you okay over there?" Ella asked.

He turned his chair and looked over at her with a sigh. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you really?" She asked knowingly.

He thought for a moment before he spoke. "Do you realize that this is the first summer where _none_ of us are going back? We're all doing other things. Not a single one of us will be at Camp Rock."

Ella smiled softly at him and crossed the room. "We're growing up, Nate. It happens. Nothing's going to change."

"Not for us," Nate said. "But what about Brown? We won't be there to help him this year, and I know he's having trouble finding all the staff he needs. What if he can't find enough counselors? What if Axel decides to take advantage of that? What if all of our egos get out of control without a summer of true _normalcy_? Camp is the one place where we could all just _be normal_."

Ella sat down on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. She tangled her fingers in the curls at the base of his neck and watched him close his eyes and take in a deep breath. "Nate, nothing lasts forever, but _one_ summer doesn't mean we can _never_ go back." She smiled gently at him and chuckled. "Besides, I think you forget that Brown was running Camp Rock _for years_ before we came along. He's done it without us before and I'm sure he can do it again."

"What about…"

"Being normal?" Ella asked knowingly. "Well, that's what you have me for, silly. You can _be normal_ around me, Nathaniel. In fact, it's _encouraged_."

"Things have just been so good for so long," Nate said as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "I'm afraid changes are going to throw everything off balance."

Ella leaned forward and kissed him softly. "Everything will be okay, Nate. I promise."

"How do you know?" Nate asked as he watched Ella kick off her heels.

She bit her bottom lip as she thought about her answer. "Well, it's like…Emperor Penguins."

Nate's brow furrowed and he grinned. "What?"

"The female penguin has to leave once she lays her egg, right? She has to go feed and then come back and so she has to leave the male with the egg."

"And what does that have to do with this?" Nate asked in confusion.

"We don't want to leave camp, Nate, but we have to. For our own good we have to leave even if we don't want to," Ella told him. "But that doesn't mean we won't go back."

Nate sighed. "You're right. You're always right."

Ella chuckled and kissed his cheek. "I should get that in writing. Besides, Brown is your uncle, Nathaniel. If he needs help he'll tell you. For the time being though, can we just enjoy being together? You leave for the tour in two weeks and I leave for my internship in New York in one. I don't want to start moping until I absolutely have to."

Nate smiled softly at her and nodded. "Okay."

"Promise?" Ella asked.

"I promise," Nate said as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

"It's just one summer," Ella said as she placed a hand on either side of his face and absently caressed his cheeks with her thumbs. "We made it through the last one and we can certainly make it through this one. And, just think, after this summer I graduate and will hopefully be a year around LA resident."

Nate chuckled and nodded. "Oh, there's no hopefully, Ella. I don't care if we have to move your stuff in here with me. You _will_ live in LA."

"Why, Nathaniel, did you just ask me to move in with you?" Ella said with a teasing wink.

His face turned serious and he turned his head to kiss her palm. "I believe I did, Sparkles."

She blinked at him. "Seriously?"

He nodded. "Seriously."

Ella giggled happily and kissed him again. "I—I don't know what to say. I mean, we'd have to wait until next May—"

"I can wait," Nate said quickly.

She blushed and nodded. "Then okay. After graduation, I move in _here_ with you."

Her blush spread to the tips of her ears and Nate couldn't help but grin as he kissed her eagerly. Ella was right. Everything would work out. He needed to have faith in that. His life certainly appeared to be _working out_, at least – thanks to Ella.


	10. Move In Day

Every Penguin Has a Song

By angellwings

* * *

><p><em>Move In Day<em>

_Summer 2016_

* * *

><p>"How many boxes do you have, Ells?" Nate asked as he sat a rather big one down on the living room floor.<p>

"Just a few more," Ella told him. "I brought the rest of my stuff over last weekend, remember? We had to move everything around to make room for my things."

"Yes, and you fussed because I was supposed to do that _before_ we brought your stuff over. I remember," Nate said with a chuckle.

"All of your Star Wars and X-files junk took forever to pack up," Ella said with a shake of her head as she opened the box he'd sat down.

"Hey!" He said defensively. "It's not junk. It's entertainment."

"You and aliens. It's almost as bad as you and penguins," Ella said with a wink.

"Yes, well, that's a great sacrifice I'm making for you," Nate said teasingly. "I have to move all of my geeky stuff into my office or studio. No one but me will see it."

"I know, babe. I'm distraught, trust me," Ella said with a smirk. "I just hide it well."

Nate grinned at her and shook his head. "Liar. I'll go get the rest of the boxes. You should probably start unpacking the stuff I stored in the garage."

Ella nodded and playfully saluted. "Sir, yes, sir."

He made the short walk to his SUV and pulled out two smaller boxes. There was a garment bag and a larger box still sitting in his car and he sighed as he shut his back hatch. How did one rather tiny girl have _so much stuff_?

He walked back into the house and found Ella setting a box down on the couch. "A box of your office stuff got mixed up with my clothes I think. Could you go through it while I get a few more boxes?"

Nate sat down his current armload and then nodded. "Sure thing."

Ella headed back to the garage while he peeled back the tape on the box. The top flaps popped open and Nate's eyes widened. This wasn't his. He'd never owned this many penguin stuffed animals in his life. And were those…ceramic figurines? "Um, Ella?"

"Yeah?"

"This isn't mine."

"You sure? You do like to _collect_ things, Nathaniel."

He could hear the amusement in her voice even from another room.

"And you also like penguins."

Ella came back into the room then and tossed a bag at him. "I found those too. I think they're yours."

Nate caught the clear bag and glanced down at it before he dropped it in shock. It was a bag full of boxers…covered in penguins. He slowly looked up at Ella and shook his head. "You think you're so funny."

She was laughing hysterically. "Your face was classic. I've never seen you drop anything so fast. Not even that pink sparkly guitar Brown made you play that one time."

"You're evil."

"Hey, it was Shane's idea. I just happened to find it funny. He wanted me to _replace_ your underwear with those, but I thought that was just a _bit_ too cruel," Ella said with a smirk.

"Are there going to be any _other_ surprises around here?" Nate asked suspiciously.

Ella chuckled and shrugged. "Maybe."

"Life's gonna be full of surprises with you around, isn't it?" Nate asked with a slow smile.

"You're a very plan-oriented guy, Nathaniel. Someone has to shake things up for you," Ella said as she stepped into his arms and kissed his cheek. "And it's either me or Shane. Who do you think is the lesser of two evils?"

Nate laughed and hugged her to him. "You. Definitely you."


	11. The Question

Every Penguin Has a Song

By angellwings

* * *

><p><em>The Question<em>

_Summer 2017_

* * *

><p>Nate took a deep breath and began to pace in the room behind Eleanor's habitat. The little penguin hopped up out of the water and waddled up to Nate. She sat down at his feet and tilted her head in confusion as she watched him. He was muttering to himself as if he were rehearsing something. He turned and noticed Eleanor out of the corner of his eye and stopped.<p>

"Well, hello there," Nate said with a grin. "You're early."

Eleanor cooed at him and he chuckled.

"Maybe you can help me," Nate said as he knelt down to look at the penguin. "I'm about to ask Ella—"

The penguin squawked and then burrowed her head into Nate's hand at the mention of Ella's name and he smiled.

"Yes, she's coming to visit you. How could she not? Anyway, I'm going to ask her to marry me. You probably have no idea what I'm saying, but it's a pretty big deal. Do you want to hear what I'm going to say?" Nate asked as he nervously cleared his throat.

Eleanor let out a high pitched trill and quickly settled at Nate's feet. She watched him closely and appeared to be waiting for him to speak. Nate laughed lightly and grinned. He'd never seen an animal with such a big personality. Sometimes it felt like Eleanor was a human and not a penguin.

"Right," Nate said as he took a deep breath. "Here we go." He paused and gathered his thoughts and while he did he could have sworn he saw Eleanor yawn. "Okay, okay, I get it. I should get on with it." He took one last deep breath and then immediately went into his speech. "Eleanor Billie Pador—"

Eleanor the penguin made a shrill noise at the sound of her name and Nate smiled at her.

"Yes, her name is Eleanor too. Can I continue?"

Eleanor ducked her head for a second and then looked back up at him.

"Maybe the full name is too much, huh? Eleanor Pador? Ella? Eleanor Billie—"

Eleanor squawked brightly and he took that as a sign that she liked the last one best.

"Right, Eleanor Billie it is. Eleanor Billie, it's been 8 years since we met, and in those 8 years I've gotten to know you, grown to love you, and now I can't imagine myself without you. And I'm hoping I'll never have to. I love you more than anyone or anything and I want to spend the rest of my life with you—"

Eleanor trilled in approval and burrowed a little deeper into his side.

Nate chuckled before he continued. "You once told me that, much like the penguins in _Happy Feet_, I would find the girl who could hear and understand my song. You were right. I found her. She's you. You were talking about yourself. Did you know that at the time? Because I didn't. Not then. I'm hoping I can make it up to you though. With giving you all of my days for the rest of my life." He paused and smiled peacefully. "Marry Me? Please?"

Nate sighed contentedly as he thought back on his speech. It was everything he wanted her to know. Everything he felt. Eleanor cooed and he responded by tickling her stomach and back. She let out the rolling high pitched laugh he loved and he smiled brightly. He froze when he heard a bucket clang behind him. He spun around to find Ella staring at him in shock.

"You…that was—was that a proposal?"

He couldn't seem to form an answer. This was not how he pictured this happening.

"Please tell me that proposal was for me and not Eleanor the penguin," Ella said after the silence continued to linger.

Nate smirked at her and chuckled before speaking dryly. "Yes, Ella. I'm proposing to the penguin."

"Well, you did fall in love with _that_ Eleanor first, you know," Ella said with a shy smile. "I had to make sure."

"That was totally intended for you. I was just getting Eleanor's opinion. I was going to ask when you got back with the fish…but I guess…you've already heard my big speech."

Her eyes watered and she laughed softly. "And some speech it was." She sniffled and stepped closer to him. "You really want to marry me?"

"More than anything else in the world, Ella," Nate told her as he stood and met her halfway.

Ella smiled brightly and nodded eagerly. "Yes! Yes, I'll marry you!"

He returned her smile and immediately pulled her into his arms. "You will?"

"Yes!" Ella said with a watery laugh. "Of course I will."

Nate pulled away to look at the penguin who was watching them curiously. "She said yes, Eleanor."

Eleanor let out a loud shrill sound and her whole body jumped and shuddered in excitement.

Nate pulled the ring box out of his pocket and fumbled with getting the ring out of the box. Ella smiled softly as she watched Nate's hands shake and she gently took his hands in hers and helped him put the ring on her finger. She sighed happily and wrapped her arms around his neck. "The ring is beautiful, Nathaniel. You're proposal was beautiful and this was absolutely perfect." Ella kissed his lips and then turned to look at Eleanor. "Right, Nora?"

Eleanor squawked in agreement and flapped her little wings.

It wasn't exactly what Nate had planned, but sometimes plans change for the better.


	12. Kiss the Bride

Every Penguin Has a Song

By angellwings

* * *

><p><em>Kiss the Bride<em>

_Summer 2018_

* * *

><p>"You may kiss the bride," The minister said loudly in order to be heard of the squawking of the penguins.<p>

They'd rented out the portion of the zoo around the penguin habitat for their private wedding ceremony. The only people invited were their families and their friends from Camp Rock. There were maybe 20 guests seated to witness their vows. The guests cheered as Nate leaned down and kissed Ella deeply. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. He smiled against her lips and wrapped embraced her. When they finally pulled apart they turned to face their guests.

"Presenting for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Nate Gray."

Ella linked her arm through his and leaned against him. She kissed his jaw quickly and then whispered to him. "We did it. _Finally_."

Nate chuckled and nodded. "No more wedding planning. Thank God."

They walked the short aisle and talked to a few guests on their way and Lindy met them at the back of the aisle. She smiled brightly at them. "Congratulations, you two. Eleanor's waiting for a visit. You ready?"

They nodded and followed Lindy back to the penguin habitat. Ella was never gladder for her decision to go with a mid-afternoon wedding a tea length dress. The floor in the back room of the penguin habitat was wet as usual and a dress any longer would have been ruined. Eleanor slowly pulled herself up out of the water. Her age was starting to show. She was moving slower and it took greater effort to do simple things. She was mellower than ever and seemed to prefer just sitting and enjoying their company to actively playing.

Lindy set down the metal bucket of fish and left Nate and Ella alone with the penguin. She'd placed two chairs in the room earlier so that they would have a place to sit without getting wet. Ella quickly sat down on the chair as Eleanor waddled over to them. Nate grabbed a small fish out of the bucket and held it out to the penguin. She gladly took it and then sat down at Ella's feet to eat it. Ella smiled fondly at the small bird and petted her head and back. Nate sat down next to Ella and sighed tiredly as he leaned back in the chair.

Ella laced her fingers through his and he pulled the back of her hand up to his lips and kissed it.

"Reception and _then_ honeymoon, right?" Nate asked with a smirk.

Ella chuckled and nodded. "Basically, we do have pictures to take in there somewhere. Speaking of, we have about ten minutes before the photographer arrives to take our pictures with Eleanor."

"If it's alright with you, I'm going to comfort myself with the idea of being alone with you in a few hours," Nate said with a chuckle. "How do people handle big weddings? I don't even really want to socialize with our _tiny_ amount of guests right now."

Ella laughed lightly at him. "Well, sweetie, you're introverted. That makes sense."

Eleanor was done with her fish and she let them know by tugging on Nate's pants leg with her beak. Nate leaned down and picked her up and placed her on his lap. She sat there peacefully for a moment before she squawked brightly and then burrowed herself in between his arm and his side. She tucked her head underneath his arm and closed her eyes.

Ella chuckled and smiled. "I think she's tired."

"She was swimming right next to the glass for the entire ceremony. She kept trying to get our attention," Nate told her. "She's probably exhausted."

"Why can't we have a penguin as a pet?" Ella asked as she softly petted Eleanor.

Nate laughed. "Trust me, I would love that, but I don't think it would be healthy for the penguin."

"She's just so cute," Ella cooed as she continued to pet Eleanor.

"I'm going to try and visit more this year," Nate said with a sad sigh. "She's…growing old and tired."

"We'll visit together," Ella said as she squeezed his hand.

He kissed the back of her hand again. "You're wonderful."

Ella smiled warmly at him and nodded. "And now you're stuck with me for the rest of your life so you better remember that, Mister."

"Oh, I will. It'll be hard to forget," Nate said as he released her hand and put an arm around her chair. "You tend to unintentionally prove how wonderful you are every day."

"I could say the same about you. You're very sweet no matter how hard you try to hide it," Ella told him with a wink. "_Husband_."

He leaned across their chairs and kissed her slowly. "Only for you, _Wife_."


	13. Goodbye

Every Penguin Has a Song

By angellwings

* * *

><p><em>Goodbye<em>

_Summer 2019_

* * *

><p>Ella was working on a sketch for Mitchie's tour wardrobe when her phone rang. Her brow furrowed when she recognized Lindy's number on the screen. She put down her pad and pencil and answered quickly.<p>

"Hello?"

"Ella, I'm so glad I caught you," Lindy said with a sad sigh.

"What's wrong?" Ella asked worriedly.

"I was going to call Nate first, but…given the news I've got I thought it might be better for him to hear it from you," Lindy said.

Ella immediately paled. "I don't like the sound of that. What happened?"

"It's Eleanor," Lindy told her. "She's…_gone_."

"Gone as in…_gone_?" Ella asked with an emotional gulp.

"Yes, early this morning," Lindy told her in a heavy tone. "She had a long and happy life, Ella. That's a comfort, at least."

Ella closed her eyes tight and took in a deep breath to calm herself. "Not much of one. I have to go find Nate, Lindy. I'm sure he will be calling you later."

"I'll be expecting it," Lindy said with a nod. "Whenever he's ready."

She quickly hung up the phone, grabbed her keys and her purse, and told her assistant to explain to her appointments that she had an emergency and had to leave the office. She stopped and got a few things that she knew Nate liked and got him an iced coffee from Starbucks. Comfort food would be important once they headed home. If she could get Nate to head home, that is. He might just throw himself into recording and refuse to leave the studio.

She parked outside the studio and headed back to Connect Three's usual room. She carefully opened the door and walked in to the studio. Jason was on the other side of the glass recording his harmonies while Nate adjusted the sound board. Shane bounced up and down behind Nate and impatiently awaited his turn in the booth. Ella grinned at the picture they made and how strangely normal it seemed. Her grin quickly disappeared though when she remembered how she was about to ruin it.

She sighed softly and then sat down on the couch in the back of the room. She didn't want to interrupt and ruin Nate's day, but Jason spotted her and waved excitedly. Ella flashed him a half-hearted smile and nodded in acknowledgement. Shane turned to see who Jason was waving at and smiled brightly.

"El!" Shane exclaimed. "What are you doing here? Your husband said you had back to back appointments all day."

"Well, I do. I mean, I did. Plans changed," Ella said nervously. "Nate?"

He turned his head and smiled at her quickly before looking back down at the sound board. "Hey, Ells, just give me a second, okay? The settings in the booth are all messed up. Shouldn't take me much longer."

She bit her bottom lip and gulped nervously. She was more than happy to put this news off. "Sure, take your time."

Shane sat down next to her and patted her knee quickly. "So, what happened? Did they all decide to cancel suddenly?"

Ella bit her bottom lip. "Um, no. No, I canceled on them."

Nate suddenly turned and gave her a concerned look. "You…what?"

"I, um, cancelled my appointments for the day."

"What happened? What's wrong? Are you feeling okay?" Nate asked immediately.

Shane's eyes widened at Nate's urgent tone. He quickly got up from the couch. "I'm just gonna go talk to Jason."

Nate took his place on the couch. "You never cancel your appointments." He placed a hand on her forehead. "Are you sick or—"

"No, Nate," Ella said with a sad sigh as she reached up and grabbed his hand. "_I'm_ fine. Well, physically anyway."

"Then what's going on?" He asked worriedly.

"It's…Eleanor, Nate," Ella said quietly. "She passed this morning. Lindy called me about an hour ago."

Nate gulped and his shoulders sagged. "But…we just visited her yesterday. She was more energetic than she's been in a long time."

Ella squeezed his hand and nodded. "I know, sweetie."

Nate sighed and stood up. "I—I have to get back to work."

"Nate…"

"We have a deadline, Ells. I need to finish this."

"Not today, Nate," Ella said gently. "Come on, let's go home. I've got an iced coffee waiting for you in the car."

"Ella, if I go home all I'm gonna do is think about it. At least here I've got a distraction," Nate told her as he turned back around to the sound board.

"Your work shouldn't be a distraction," Ella told him as she got up to stand next to him. "You don't want to not do your best because you're treating it like a distraction. I know you."

"I really don't want to go home and mope either," He told her.

"Then we won't mope," Ella said decisively. "We'll go home and remember the good times and you can tell me about the first time you met Eleanor. You never have, you know. I don't know how this whole thing started, and I've always wondered."

His brow furrowed and he smiled faintly. "I've told you that story before. Haven't I?"

"Nope, not once."

He nodded and then turned to gather his things. "Okay, fine. We'll go home and talk about Eleanor. And then I'll call Lindy and check on her."

Ella looped her arm through his and rested her head on his shoulder. "I found a picture of Eleanor chasing Shane the other day when I was putting together my scrapbook. His face was pretty hilarious."

"She always thought he had an extra fish hidden on him somewhere," Nate said with a grin.

Ella chuckled as they started to walk out of the studio. "Why did she think that?"

"Because Jason and I planted one on him one time and she never forgot it," Nate told her with a chuckle. "It was one of our better pranks."

"Poor Eleanor," Ella said with a laugh. "All she wanted was a fish."

"And she thought Shane was holding out on her," Nate said with a grin and a nod. "She was scary perceptive sometimes."

"So much personality for such a small bird," Ella said with a warm smile.

"I'm gonna miss her. That may sound stupid. I mean, she was a bird, but…"

"She was your friend, Nate," Ella said understandingly. "Of course, you're going to miss her. That's not stupid. That's natural. You're allowed to miss her."

Nate kissed Ella's temple softly and took a deep shaky breath. "Thank you, Ella. How do you know exactly what I need to hear and when I need to hear it?"

She smiled softly at him. "Because I know you and I love you, Nathaniel. That's how. And I know how much you care about Eleanor. It's part of what made it so easy to fall for you."

"Do you think she knew?" Nate asked. "How many people cared about her?"

Ella nodded and squeezed his arm. "She knew. I have no doubt about that. She was the only penguin at the zoo with an adopted family. You and your brothers helped make sure she had a happy life. She definitely knew how many people loved her. And she made a difference in all of our lives. None of us will ever forget her."


	14. Nora

**A/N: **This is it, friends. The last Penguin drabble. Enjoy!

Happy Reading!

angellwings

Every Penguin Has a Song

By angellwings

* * *

><p><em>Nora<em>

_Summer 2020_

* * *

><p>Nate stepped out of the SUV once they reached home and quickly walked around the car to help Ella out. He opened her door and held out a hand to help her down. Her baby bump was out the door before she was. He helped her carefully step down and she huffed once her feet were on the ground.<p>

"Can we take my car next time we go to the doctor?" Ella asked. "I hate getting out of this thing now. I feel like I'm going to topple over every time."

Nate laughed and nodded. "Sure, if it'll make you more comfortable."

"Thank you," Ella said as they made their way to their door. As soon as the door was open Ella stepped through and kicked off her shoes. "Ugh, I miss being able to wear my heels. Stupid sensitive pregnant feet."

"Someone's in a bad pregnant lady mood," Nate said with a smirk.

"Pregnancy is not all glowy and beautiful like people make you think, you know. My back hurts, my feet are swelling, I'm hungry and then _sick_ all the time, and everybody treats me like I'm made of glass and going to _shatter_ at any moment."

"You know, I thought we were going to celebrate that we're having a _little girl_ in four months when we got home. Wasn't that the plan?" Nate asked in amusement as he grabbed a lemonade out of the fridge and then handed it to Ella.

"And then I got hot and uncomfortable in the car on the way home," Ella muttered. "Sort of killed my non-alcoholic buzz."

Nate sat down beside of her and then pulled her feet into his lap. The minute he started to massage her feet she groaned loudly.

"Oh, that's amazing. _You're_ amazing," Ella said as she slouched back on the couch.

He smiled warmly at her as she opened her lemonade and took a sip. Her cheeks were flushed from feeling overheated in the car and she looked exhausted, but the more he massaged her feet and the more she drank of her lemonade the more comfortable she became. Her eyes finally landed on his and she smiled brightly.

"We're having a little girl," Ella said as the excitement hit her again. "I get to buy little dresses and princess things and little soft pink bibs. Oh, I can't wait to register for shower gifts."

"People are going to start asking if we've talked about names now," Nate said with a chuckle.

"Start?" Ella asked sarcastically. "Mitchie and Peggy have been asking me once a day since we told everyone I was pregnant."

"Then maybe we should talk about names? So you'll have something to tell them and they can stop asking," Nate said with a grin.

Ella bit her bottom lip. "Well, I actually have one in mind already."

"You do?" Nate asked curiously. "Let me hear it."

"I really like the name Nora," Ella suggested as she continued to bite her bottom lip. "I was hoping we could use it."

Nate smiled softly at his pregnant wife. "Nora Gray. I love it."

"I thought it would be a nice way to remember Eleanor," Ella said with a small smile.

Nate kissed her hand softly. "It's perfect, Ella. I think that's the winner."

"Good," Ella said with a contented sigh. "Any ideas for the middle name?"

"Well, my grandmother's name was Lucille," Nate suggested.

"Hm, Nora Lucille Gray," Ella said slowly. She smiled and nodded. "I like it. It sort of sounds like something out of a fairy tale."

Nate released Ella's foot and then leaned toward her pregnant belly. He lifted up her shirt so he could see her stomach and placed a kiss on the very top of the bump. "Nora Lucille Gray, you've got a lot of people out here who are very anxious to meet you. And even more who are going to be completely in love with you." He paused for a minute before he added urgently. "Just don't be too early."

"Or too late," Ella added in a pleading tone. "But then again, considering your father I'm sure you'll be _extremely_ prompt."

Nate rolled his eyes and smirked dryly at his wife. "Funny."

She laughed softly. "I thought so."


End file.
